Prepaid billing apparatus and method for printing systems

Abstract

A method of providing prepaid billing by receiving a request for a recharge token from a customer; accepting payment information and the number of additional prints requested from the customer; receiving from the customer a unique serial number for the printing system, a current copy count for the printing system, and a remaining copy count for the printing system; generating a recharge token; encrypting the recharge token according to an encryption key stored in a first database; transmitting the encrypted recharge token to the customer; storing the encrypted recharge token in a second database; decoding the encrypted recharge token according to an encryption key stored in the second database; determining whether the decoded recharge token is valid; and where the decoded recharge token is valid, increasing the remaining copy count by the number of additional prints requested.

1 . A method of providing prepaid billing for a printing system, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request for a recharge token from a customer;    accepting payment information and the number of additional prints requested from the customer;    receiving from the customer a unique serial number for the printing system, a current copy count for the printing system, and a remaining copy count for the printing system;    generating a recharge token;    encrypting the recharge token according to an encryption key stored in a first database;    transmitting the encrypted recharge token to the customer;    storing the encrypted recharge token in a second database;    decoding the encrypted recharge token according to an encryption key stored in the second database;    determining whether the decoded recharge token is valid; and    where the decoded recharge token is valid, increasing the remaining copy count by the number of additional prints requested.    
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising verifying the customer's payment information with a third party.  
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the customer's request for a recharge token is made via the Internet.  
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the customer's request for a recharge token is made via telephone.  
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the recharge token comprises the serial number, the current copy count plus the remaining copy count, and the number of additional prints.  
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 indexing the serial number of the printing system with the encryption key stored in the first database.    
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein encrypting the recharge token includes: 
 associating a first number with each serial number;    concatenating the recharge token into a second number; and    subtracting the second number from the first number.    
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 indexing the serial number of the printing system with the encryption key stored in the first database.    
     
     
         9 . The method defined in  claim 8 , wherein encrypting the recharge token includes: 
 associating a first number with each serial number;    concatenating the recharge token into a second number; and    subtracting the second number from the first number.    
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for providing prepaid billing for a printing system, the apparatus comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving a request for a recharge token from a customer;    accepting means for accepting payment information and the number of additional prints requested from the customer;    receiving means for receiving from the customer a unique serial number for the printing system, a current copy count for the printing system, and a remaining copy count for the printing system;    generating means for generating a recharge token;    encrypting means for encrypting the recharge token according to an encryption key stored in a first database;    transmitting means for transmitting the encrypted recharge token to the customer;    storing means for storing the encrypted recharge token in a second database;    decoding means for decoding the encrypted recharge token according to an encryption key stored in the second database;    determining means for determining whether the decoded recharge token is valid; and    increasing means for increasing the remaining copy count by the number of additional prints requested, where the decoded recharge token is valid.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , further comprising verifying means for verifying the customer's payment information with a third party.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , wherein the customer's request for a recharge token is made via the Internet.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , wherein the customer's request for a recharge token is made via telephone.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , wherein the recharge token comprises the serial number, the current copy count plus the remaining copy count, and the number of additional prints.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , further comprising indexing means for indexing the serial number of the printing system with the encryption key stored in the first database.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , wherein encrypting the recharge token includes: 
 associating means for associating a first number with each serial number;    concatenating means for concatenating the recharge token into a second number; and    subtracting means for subtracting the second number from the first number.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus defined in  claim 14 , further comprising indexing means for indexing the serial number of the printing system with the encryption key stored in the first database.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus defined in  claim 17 , wherein encrypting the recharge token includes: 
 associating means for associating a first number with each serial number;    concatenating means for concatenating the recharge token into a second number; and    subtracting means for subtracting the second number from the first number.    
     
     
         19 . A prepaid billing system comprising: 
 a printing system and a service provider;    wherein the printing system includes:    a user interface;    a first database for storing an encrypted recharge token and a unique serial number, a current copy count, and a remaining copy count; and    a first CPU for decoding the encrypted recharge token according to an encryption key stored in the first database and for determining whether the decoded recharge token is valid; and    wherein the service provider includes:    a network interface for receiving a request for a recharge token from a customer, accepting payment information and the number of additional prints requested from the customer, and receiving printing system data from the customer;    a second database for storing an encryption key; and    a second CPU for generating a recharge token and encrypting the recharge token according to the encryption key.    
     
     
         20 . The system defined in  claim 19 , wherein the recharge token comprises the serial number, the current copy count plus the remaining copy count, and the number of additional prints requested by the customer.